JAMES NICKERSON BA Hons (Theatre Arts: Acting)

Examiner in Drama & Speech Subjects

James was born on the Isle of Wight where through various amateur and school productions he began to show an interest in performing. After leaving school he completed a year in Performing Arts at Dartington College of Arts and went on to train as a professional actor at Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre where he gained a first class hons. degree.

Whilst at drama school James was chosen to travel to Poland to work at the Grotowski Institute on a project with Song of the Goat Theatre Company and on another occasion to take part in a bilingual production of Timon of Athens at the Shakespeare Institute in Valencia including performances at a theatre festival in Benidorm!

Since leaving drama school, James has worked extensively as an actor in theatre, radio and television. He has worked at most regional reps. including Oldham Coliseum, Bolton Octagon, Palace Theatre Redditch, Contact Theatre Manchester,
M6 Theatre Co. Derby Playhouse, Theatre By the Lake Keswick, Ludlow Festival, Capitol Theatre, Manchester, as well as productions at The Royal Exchange, Manchester and The Royal National Theatre. He was also resident Dame in Pantomime at the Theatre Royal Bury St. Edmunds for ten years.

He has also worked extensively in radio drama for the BBC and appeared many times on television including roles in Coronation St. Emmerdale, The Forsyte Saga, Medics and Island at War.

James has worked for Manchester Metropolitan University’s Capitol Theatre running workshops and professional classes with the first and second years as well as providing stage management support to the third years during their professional performances prior to leaving to pursue acting careers.

In 2009 James appeared at Keswick Theatre by the Lake in their season of plays, including A Midsummer’s Dream, A Chorus of Disapproval, and The Memory of Water. He returned this Easter to perform in the two-hander Irish comedy Stones in his Pockets.